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Physician Assistants salary in Washington, DC

Median pay for physician assistants in Washington, DC: $125,620/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $77,600 – $164,510 · about 2,830 employed locally

Below the typical metro median ($125,700) by −$80 (+0%).

What it's really worth in Washington

With Washington's cost of living at 110 (US=100), that $125,620 has the buying power of about $114,676 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $119,803 · median home $583,013 · median rent $2,416/mo.

Full Washington cost of living & taxes →

How Washington ranks for this job

On raw pay, Washington, DC is 91st of the 180 metros we hold physician assistants wages for. Once Washington's cost of living is applied, it ranks 166th.

The headline number flatters Washington. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, physician assistants here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Washington

A median home in Washington, DC costs $583,013 — about 4.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $2,416/mo works out at 23% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where physician assistants earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Washington.

MetroMedian payvs WashingtonRent vs Washington
San Jose, CA $208,000 +66% 1.5×
Vallejo, CA $174,670 +39%
Modesto, CA $171,600 +37% 0.8×
San Francisco, CA $171,470 +36% 1.3×

Who hires physician assistants around Washington

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

Other jobs in Washington

Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 180 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.